I may be a little slow to update the next couple of days. On a trip until Sunday afternoon. I do have my phone but not my laptop, so if I need to put up a new slide that will take longer.
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"Has any additional investigation or scouting occurred yet as to what we may find at the site, and does anyone have any thoughts on how we can best prepare for these dangers?" Tahonikepsu shakes her draconic head. "We did not do any investigation. You are the experts in such matters, and so we waited for you. It is just as well that we did, for you gleaned answers about dangers that we did not."
Grog:
You awaken, though you feel terrible. Saphira is standing over you. Your head and heart are pounding. The terror of the demon's attack is still there, though starting to fade like a bad dream.
You are at half HP and are Exhausted. Looking next to you, Xersus seems worse. He is convulsing on the ground, trembling and vomiting. Saphira goes to attend to him. Lasaraleen heals Doodle. The demon has had enough of Doodlevain and her spear. It attacks again, this time grabbing her so that she cannot use the weapon.
Round 3
The wall does not collapse. With a bloodcurdling shriek, a spectral form erupts from the Oubliette.
Knowledge (Religion):
This is a ghost. Incorporeal, and as the Splatter Man was a wizard in life, likely possessing spellcasting ability. Ismene, Tiff:
Besides having some of the abilities they had in life, ghosts also have a corrupting touch attack. Marill begins Inspire Courage +1. Round 3
I don't want to give away too much, other than to say have faith that this should be a cool adventure. Some weird monster design notwithstanding.
Edit:
"I know more of the teachings of Osirion that you will ever know, child. If you think they speak plainly, then it is because you have been taught only the most basic rudiments. I found the means to attain eternal life. I did not want the secrets of past ages to die with me, so I undertook the rites. I did what was necessary for survival. Not for my own sake, but for the survival of the Jeweled Sages.Now that I have been able to restore the Jeweled Sages, the good that we can bring to the world will vindicate my decision. You will see." He both sounds and looks more human-like than you might expect from a lich. His face is gaunt and dried-looking, but has not rotted away. His voice is calm and vibrant. He doesn't sound as sadistic and paranoid as you would expect a 3,000-year-old lich to be. Normally, the passing of years makes such beings increasingly hostile to the living. He sounds... arrogant, but somewhat reasonable.
"It is settled then," says Amenopheus. "Torch will join us." Outside the pavilion, Tahonikepsu transforms into her true draconic form. She offers to transport Amenopheus and any of you who wish a ride.
Merab’s citizens shout and point in awe as the huge violet dragon launches into the air, soaring upward until the curvature of the world is visible and then down toward a long stretch of desert south of the Thuvian coast. As Tahonikepsu approaches over the sands, a small encampment comes into view along with the sages Sinuhotep and Dhiara. He looks to be a mummified Osiriani man, and she an elf.
About five minutes later, Grandmaster Torch arrives on a flying carpet.
Doodlevain hits twice with her spear.
Lasaraleen is up!
Round 2
This is a party vote, with ties decided by Scarab Sages faction members. Votes on Torch:
Corrected damage for Doodle (AOO plus 4 hits):
@Tere - sure, let's say that it can be considered dim light.
Thanks for the prompt. Yes, I erroneously used the High Tier stats for its attacks on Doodle. Will fix. Still no difference on the Weird SLA, unfortunately. Same DC.But, weirdly, the low tier version is listed as having Grab on its tentacle attacks. This scenario could have used another set of eyes.
Theodore destroys the haunt!
Doodlevain is hit hard on the way in, but powers through and manages to hit with her spear. The demon retaliates, slashing at her with tentacles tipped with sharp bone-like protrusions.
Amazingly, the gnome is still alive. Round 2
After a few moments thought, Katswiri turns her attention towards Amenopheus. "Amenopheus, can you elaborate on the technical details of the ritual? Do you know how long it will take to perform? Is the structure set, or does it need adapting based on what we find at the site? And do you need any assistance conducting the ritual from us, or is it only to be performed by holders of the Sage Jewels while we stand guard?" "I cannot yet say how long it will take. That will depend on the spiritual energies at the site. I would welcome assistance from those who are skilled. Obviously mastery of arcane or religious rites would be beneficial, as could some other skills. However, the ritual is delicate, and bumbling amateurs could cause disaster. I trust we do not have such among our group today."--- 1) Are there undead present in the village of Resa or Aryana Tahari's Sanctum?
"Resa is just ruins. As you say, the abandoned site of an ancient village."
Theodore Channels the power of Pharasma.
Will saves vs Fear, Quinn's Aura:
A bloody I forms on the wall next to Tiff, and sanity slips further out of reach... Round 1
Round 2
Tiff: Ismene destroying the letter of your name was wrong. She could have stolen your soul! Or washed it away! You must be the one to destroy the bloody letter on the wall. With tooth and claw if need be.
“I take it no one in this room has been inside this necromancer’s sanctuary before? Not even our esteemed Padrym?” Padrym shakes his head. “No, I was never there. She was a strange woman who spoke to unseen spectres more than to people. She had some involvement in developing of the Night Plague. Divs often accompanied her, as they did all the Usij. However, she treated them especially cruelly, and they despised her.”Saya Facts: The Usij are a scattered group of cultists who worship Ahriman and the divs. They do not function as a unified organization, and members range from maniacs seeking destruction to the wicked and power-hungry.
Once, the Usij were more widespread and acted openly, serving in the courts of kings and pharaohs until the Sarenite faith drove them into hiding.
Usij often use their div-granted knowledge and power to infiltrate the halls of power as advisors and sages, earning sufficient trust to then undermine leaders from within, all to bring about death, misery, and destruction. At Padrym's mention of the Night Plague, she calls upon her knowledge of history.
We are underway! Please check in when you can.
Amenopheus looks at Setare with some disappointment. Her rather vague and open-ended questions seem to not sit right with him. "Setare... it is an ancient site tied to a necromancer who created plagues."
Katswiri knows everything:
Katswiri facts: ---
The Usij are a scattered group of cultists who worship Ahriman and the divs. They do not function as a unified organization, and members range from maniacs seeking destruction to the wicked and power-hungry.
Once, the Usij were more widespread and acted openly, serving in the courts of kings and pharaohs until the Sarenite faith drove them into hiding. Usij often use their div-granted knowledge and power to infiltrate the halls of power as advisors and sages, earning sufficient trust to then undermine leaders from within, all to bring about death, misery, and destruction. The Sarenites sanctified the remains of the Usij cultists they slew in order to keep their spirits at rest. Symbols of Sarenrae, or invocations of her name, may have some power against the cult. She also knows about the Pharoah of Forgotten Plagues. The Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues unleashed a terrible disease during his war with the Jistka Imperium that ravaged the Imperium’s leadership. The Usij captured a Jistkan efreeti commander, transformed him into a ghul infected with the plague, and sent him back to his homeland. The disease specifically targeted the Imperium’s royal bloodline, causing a breakdown in society from which the Imperium never recovered. There were unconfirmed reports of immunities to the Night Plague, and the pharaoh commanded the Usij to craft a second, more deadly disease. "For the proposed ritual, how soon must it be conducted? Can we prepare for a day to research this village and conduct our own magical preparations, or do we need to leave immediately, and if so what is the proposed timeline for the travel, investigation and ritual?" Tahonikepsu responds. "We plan to leave within the hour. It is about 120 miles to the site. About six hours' flight for me, so we should be there mid-afternoon. Where we will meet Sinuhotep and Dhiara." "And..." begins Amenopheus. He and Tahonikepsu look at each other. "Yes. In a moment," responds Tahonikepsu. "Once we gather, you can try to make a case for further delay, but it has been very hard to get all of us to agree on this course of action. Currently our plan is to go into the site this afternoon. Now, Amenopheus, you may address that other matter." Amenopheus produces a scroll sealed with purple wax stamped with a stylized swirl of smoke flame—one of the symbols associated with the Shadow Lodge. “Grandmaster Torch, through disreputable means, now bears the emerald sage jewel. Torch requests the opportunity to contribute to our expedition in person and purify his jewel. He is untrustworthy, but allowing the gem to corrupt him holds its own dangers. He was an ally once; perhaps he could be again. As Pathfinders, you may know him best. Should we invite him to join our expedition?”
As you move into the Nevermore...
Perception:
Marill and Ismene see blood start to seep from the walls. Initiative:
Marill is a bit quicker to react, and readies to cast Cure Light Wounds as soon as the haunt manifests.
It isn't enough to dissipate the haunt, however.
Will saves vs fear, DC 16:
Quinn keeps Ismene safe, and Tiff nearly pulls through, but the power of the Splatter Man's spellbook reinforces the haunt enough for it to affect her. You all see a T written in blood on the wall near Tiff. Tiff takes 2 Wisdom damage and knows what is happening: the writing on the wall is stealing her soul, and by destroying the writing, she can recover her stolen spiritual energy. Knowledge (Religion):
Ismene:
Destroying the writing should weaken the haunt, but these walls are at least partly held intact by spiritual energy. So there is a risk of at least a partial collapse. Beyond that approach, the usual method of applying positive energy should damage the haunt. Marill casts another Cure Light Wounds, but fails to affect the haunt.
Surprise!
Round 1
Actually defeating the Primordial Demon may be much harder now without the party's best demonslayer, but perhaps there is a chance. In any event, you need to keep it occupied for as long as you can. Party is up!
Round 1
The demon is 30' below you, and you can move as if under Air Walk.
Grog's body fades away.
You receive a message from Venture-Captain Diya Akan, asking you to meet with Tahonikepsu, the Diamond Sage, at the Twisting Garden Lodge in Merab. The venture-captain has arranged magical transport from Absalom at the Diamond Sage’s expense. With a sandcolored dog at her side, the blind venture-captain welcomes you to Merab and guides you through the maze surrounding the lodge to a courtyard where Amenopheus and Tahonikepsu wait beneath a pavilion.
Sitting at a large table, Amenopheus looks over a book with a bemused smile as a blindfolded Tahonikepsu cautiously sniffs at several metal vials bearing the marks of local alchemists. She confidently names each alchemist by the scent of the vial before adding with a smile, “The scent of blood, oil, and old books could only be our Pathfinder friends.” Amenopheus closes his book and pushes an ancient Azlanti coin over to the Diamond Sage, remarking that he should know better than to wager with dragons and that these games are merely distractions to relieve the tension of a serious situation. Tahonikepsu rises, draws forth a small metal box, and opens it to reveal an onyx gem in the cushioned interior. “Our situation is actually quite fascinating, though I agree it presents some difficulties. Each of our order’s sage jewels houses the personality and knowledge of its creator. Through field tests and research, Amenopheus has made a remarkable discovery: each of the jewels contains a second and unidentified persona. Your comrades recovered this jewel, and its former bearer knew the source of this anomaly. He can best explain the situation.” Tahonikepsu intones a rite, and the morning light dims as the spectral image of a bronze-skinned dwarf manifests above the onyx gem. He wears the simple garb of a warrior-monk, but his amulet bearing the ureaus over staff and scepter marks him as an advisor or guardian of the pharaohs. “Greetings, stewards of knowledge. I am Padrym of Erekrus. I served the pharaohs of old and witnessed with sorrow the decline of a land of wonders. The Diamond Sage has asked me about a shadow within my sage jewel. I know this shadow as Aryana Tahari, an Usij necromancer who served at the court of the Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues with me. Known to some as the Black Moon, her skill and wisdom were a dark reflection of the virtues of holy Thoth. She knew more of life and death than any living scholar of the time, and her enemies died horribly of exotic afflictions. She vanished from court for a time to her sanctuary beneath the village of Resa, set on a task the pharaoh personally assigned. I can sense her within the gemstone now, and casting back through memory, I feel her presence upon my every thought—perhaps even to my first acceptance into the order of Jeweled Sages.” Amenopheus worriedly joins in. “The necromancer’s spirit has stirred recently. It may be that as more sages take up the sage jewels she grows in strength. The Usij are working to speed her awakening. With every passing year there is a growing chance she could seize control of us. While certain desperate measures—” Tahonikepsu frowns and Amenopheus hurriedly continues, “— may not be necessary yet, I have a plan to assemble the sage jewels in this necromancer’s sanctuary. There, in a place tied to her life, we can draw forth these fragments of her mind and safely destroy them with a ritual I have devised.” Tahonikepsu nods excitedly. “We can safely remove this annoyance and perhaps discover some wonders this Tahari hid away. Regardless of her flaws, she seems a remarkable scholar. However, our numbers are too few to safely mount such an expedition. The Pathfinders have provided exemplary aid before; please assist us once more in preserving our legacy.” "The other Jeweled Sages await. Ask your questions and then let us be on our way." You can make a Knowledge (History or Planes) check about the Usij cult. You can also ask questions of the Sages who are here (Tahonikepsu, Amenopheus, and the spectral Padrym).
Quinn destroys the ooze.
There is nothing of note in the secret passage.
The secret passage, though, was not some prisoner's tunnel. Why would they have wanted to go to the torture chamber? No, it was part of the prison's construction. Upon exiting the passage into the southern cellblock (the Nevermore), you see rusty manacles hanging on the walls of the cell where you emerge. Not attached to the wall - these manacles would have been used to bring prisoners from the Nevermore to the torture chamber. Several iron doors line the walls of this partially ruined cellblock. The doors themselves hang askew on their hinges, revealing empty cells beyond. Partially burnt wooden support timbers still function to the north, while to the south they’ve collapsed and caused cell walls to crumble as well. Rivulets of water drip down the southwestern wall to create a shallow pool in this ruined portion of the room, with overflow filling an oubliette hole in the middle of the room nearly to the rim. As you've explored the rest of the prison, this last area must be where you will find the Splatter Man. What do you do?
The shapeless darkness pulses with vile energy, and a surge of fear overwhelms you all. It conjures... a Balor? A Qlippoth? Rovagug? The most horrifying forms you can imagine swarm over you and tear you limb from limb.
Xersus arranges everyone so that all are seated around Brother Dunnamast and holding hands to complete a circle. Then he sets up his devices, incense, and assorted components and begins to weave a strange spell.
Moments later, everyone’s flesh turns cold, vision blurs, and all color washes to dull gray. The surroundings fade and soon nothing exists but a dull, twilight void. You experience the sensation of falling at first, then floating. Slowly, dark shadows solidify and you see yourselves hovering around Dunnamast’s still form. Everyone - yourself and your fellow Pathfinder - appears gray and washed out, though sparks of color ripple through like tiny threads. There in the dream realm, Xersus is positioned at Dunnamast’s head, holding him gingerly by the temples, and Osprey is at his feet. Thick, ropey tendrils of color thread through Dunnamast’s translucent form. These tendrils, it seems, are an alien presence. Not Dunnamast, but something holding onto him. Xersus begins a slow, peaceful chant. The cleric’s body seems to relax, and the tendrils within him recoil slowly from his body toward the base of his neck. Suddenly, the cleric’s jaw drops and the alien tendrils erupt from his mouth directly into the gnome’s face, rending the gnome apart. Xersus fades and disappears. Osprey reacts quickly, touching his necklace and conjuring a shimmering field of energy. He shouts to you, “Hold the demon off, while I get answers from Dunnamast!” Demon? Oh. There. You are in a spherical space, it seems, surrounding Brother Dunnamast. Tendrils go through his body. And they are attached to something far below, about 30' away. A cloudy nothingness from which those smoky tendrils protrude.
Initiative:
Round 1
Quinn and Ismene hit the ooze, while Tiff prepares for battle.
Another miss! The ooze is at 7/50 HP, and has AC 5. I think you can finish it off. PCs go!
Xersus holds up a hand to silence Lasaraleen and Grog and makes no other response. For about ten minutes, Xersus brushes off any attempts to communicate with him, as he studies his patient with a trance-like intensity. Once he’s finished, he wipes his brow, looks worriedly toward the PCs, and says, “I need to perform an extraction.”
“Extraction involves psychic projection. I shall enter a trancelike state in which I project myself into the psychic realm where Dunnamast suffers. I’m not sure what is attacking him, and thus far have only ever heard tales of the dream realm’s connection to shapeless, primordial demons. I seriously doubted their existence until this moment. In order to succeed in this task, I’ll need all of your help. The realm of dreams and nightmares is both maddening and deadly, and I cannot guarantee your life or sanity should you choose to join me. Without your help, though, Brother Dunnamast will die.” "I will go," says Osprey.
"Will you join me, Pathfinders?" asks Xersus.
Saphira realizes that Whispering Wind is much faster than Sending and finds that one of the bards in the revelry is capable of casting that spell. Soon after, Xersus and Osprey arrive via Teleport. You explain the situation briefly. Xersus listens intently, his face twisted with consternation. “I see,” he says. He opens a black case filled with weird brass devices, crystals, incense, and other tools, and the proceeds to inspect Dunnamast’s body. He circles it, muttering to himself as he rapidly scribbles notes into a weathered looking tome. Dunnamast lies there, comatose, bleeding slightly. Xersus continues to mutter and take notes. He gently prods the body with what looks like an ivory spoon, then burns some incense next to the right foot. He fusses with the orientation of a small collection of crystals, refracting light from a candle through them. "Hmmmm... interesting. But? Ah..." Osprey looks on, vaguely menacing but quiet.
"We have to do something!" shouts Saphira.
Tiff's acid flask hits and does in fact hurt the ooze. It lashes out at Quinn!
He is able to dodge. Marill continues Inspire Courage, but moves back out of the tunnel to free up some space. Party is up
The man is almost too strong for Grog to restrain, but with the help of Doodle and Tere the half-orc is able to pin him down. Suddenly, Dunnamast's eyes roll back in his head, and he speaks in a distorted voice. Abyssal:
“I claim this mortal as my own,
His flesh is my flesh! His blood, his bone, his thoughts, his soul, All of this is mine! Be gone oh you pitiful mortals, You weary flesh clusters, You maggot fodder! Look ye not unto my claims, Or as well shall you suffer this man’s fate And upon you I shall feast! For mine is the damnation of a thousand nightmares! Of the blistering flame of eternal waking! Of the madness that gnaws! Of timeless devouring!” His flesh again pales and he slips into a still, corpse-like rigor. Small trickles of blood run from his nose, ears, and eyes. Khellek easily determines that Brother Dunnamast is under a psychic demonic attack. He requires immediate expert aid before his mind is destroyed.
Quinn's sword seems to hurt the ooze. Ismene is pretty certain that her acid will hurt it if she can get into position to throw it.
Tiff is up!
As Lasaraleen casts her spell, Dunnamast’s flesh pales, and his entire body goes into seizure. Then his skin violently reddens and he begins to convulse uncontrollably. His thrashing seems likely to injure him.
You can restrain him with a CMD check. Given the tight quarters, up to 2 PCs can directly Aid Another on the primary PC attempting the check (others can use spells of course).
Tere:
The man scoffs. "Eagle knights? They have no jurisdiction here. Andoran doesn't want the trouble with Absalom."
You'd have needed Intimidate to change his mind... as to dance, I guess a Haka is more or less using Perform (Dance) to intimidate, sort of a variant Versatile Performance. Might be fun to have a PC who could do that... Anyway, no worries. You might have had a slightly better chance with Grog on this mission, as he too is Liberty's Edge, but even Grog's Intimidate is only a net +1. "It was mostly before my time," Saphira replies to Khellek, "but demons are a plague on Golarion. There's the Worldwound, of course; maybe Baldimar Trud had a friend or relative in the Mendevian Crusades. I don't know for sure, but I do think he conveyed some of his findings to Mendev." The conversation continues for a while, but finally a pair of clerics come back and report that they were unable to find Brother Dunnamast. "Most concerning," she mutters, and after the clerics leave to continue the search she gathers those of you who had gone to the Oratorium. "Imposters, mind-control, demons, and the priest most likely to know anything has gone missing. We must find him!" She leads you on a search throughout the temple. Finally, you find Brother Dunnamast unconscious, on the floor of the cellar of one of the cask rooms. He smells like a flagon of grog and will not wake up. Lasaraleen notices something; this is not simple inebriation. His unconscious movements and moans are not consistent with overindulgence in alcohol, but rather suggest magical tampering with his mind.
After some time, you manage to smash everything to pieces. Opening the secret door, you make your way into the passage beyond. The rough stone walls of this natural cavern drip with moisture, leaving stagnant pools of water on the uneven floor. You walk through the winding passage, Quinn in front.
Quinn steps in something! That is no puddle, but some monstrous ichor! And it's alive! The puddle of goo slams into his torso, trying to crush and dissolve him.
Fortunately, he is able to slip out of the grip of its tendrils.
Initiative:
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) DC 14:
This is a gray ooze, a mindless predator that consumes organic materials and dissolves metals. If you hit DC 19:
The ooze is immune to cold and fire, but can be damaged by weapons. Surprise Round
Marill, unaware of precisely what the danger is but aware that there is combat, begins Inspire Courage Round 1
Ismene backs away.
The lid of the iron maiden creaks open.
Quinn:
You see nothing inside the iron maiden.
Theodore:
This haunt can only be put to rest by destroying every single torture device in this room. After a moment, the iron maiden lid closes, and the haunt goes dormant. Searching the room, you find a secret door behind the iron maiden. Do you go through the secret door, or back around to the Nevermore?
Tere:
Arnaud Deschamp is busy comparing the politics of Absalom and Oppara to, respectively, a high-end brothel and a blindfolded orgy. "Here, at least, you can get what you pay for, though it might cost you an arm and a leg! And maybe leave you with an unpleasant souvenir! But back in Taldor, I tell you, there's always somebody screwing you and you never even get to know who it was!"
The crowd laughs uproariously at this. He takes a breather to refill his mug. Lasaraleen: Before you head over to the Oratorium, High Priestess Saphira takes the note and reads it. "Tell me of Count Tristoff. Do you believe him to be sincere? That it was truly a bookkeeping error as he claims, and not an attempt to cheat or rob us?"
While you are waiting, Saphira sips her wine. "He should be here in a bit. Strange that I didn't see him in the Oratorium. Thought he might have liked Arnaud Deschamp. Taldan jester, lots of political humor. Crude, of course, so not to everyone's taste. But really good stuff. He knows how to work a crowd." She taps her mug on the table. "That's where I was when Henril came to get me. Check it out if you want, and I'll come get you when we find Dunnamast."
"Demons? Here? As in, inside Cayden's Hall? This must be put right!" Saphira thinks a minute.
She steps out of the room, calls over a cleric, and they depart to find Brother Dunnamast.
Saphira nods quietly at Khellek's revelation. Then she turns to Lasaraleen. "Not safe for me? Excuse me, sun-child, I am the Lady of Intemperance. The High Priestess of Cayden Cailean in Absalom. Do you know what that means? It means that I can handle a sword as well as I can handle my liquor. If devils are involved, you will not find me cowering."
"But you're right in a way. I suppose if I didn't know about the threat, then I could be in danger. Never good to get caught unawares. So please tell me about these extra-planar threats you speak of. It's devils, right? We're often crossing swords with them, given our dedication to freedom and our opposition to House Thrune and other tyrants."
Sorry to see you go. Thanks for being part of the game.
He does blanche a little at the sight of holy water pouring from her finger, but, hey, when in Cayden's Keg, do as Cayden, right? Wine, actually. She can also conjure beer if you want.
"The guards weren't controlled. Two of my priests were."
You walk through the Main Hall. It consists of a massive circular pavilion covered by a tall shingle and timber roof suspended on thick, rough-cut wooden posts. Each post is mounted with a small iron bell, and beneath each bell sits a small cask of water in case of fire. In the center, a huge bonfire blazes, while flame and smoke escape through a wide opening in the roof overhead. Assorted tables and chairs fill the central area around the bonfire, seated with all manner of folk partaking in the sacred festivities. The pavilion’s sides are fenced off, though several openings along the perimeter lead to other areas. To the west, a curved bar allows patrons a view into the Ascendant Court. From there, Saphira takes you into a small circular room off to the side. "Give us a few minutes," Saphira says to two businessmen having a meeting in the room. They take their drinks and move on. She sits down at a table and fills mugs with ale or wine for whoever so desires. "I assume you are some band of mercenaries. You show up at my temple ready for war."
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